Ikotane ta supel
by GreenleafUndomiel
Summary: "So it begins." : A young Legolas steps outside the gates of his father's Palace for the first time, disobeying his words. What happens when the Prince meets a figure cladded in black with cold eyes? AU. Part of the Stars of Arda series.
1. Close the gate

Summery: A young Legolas steps outside the gates of his father's Palace for the first time, disobeying his words. What happens when the Prince meets a figure cladded in black with cold eyes? AU. Part of the star's of Arda series.

Disclaimer: I don't own it no matter how many times I wish Legolas was mine :(

I don't like the beginning but bare with me, hopefully it get's better!

Title Translation: _So it begins._

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**Ikotane ta supel.**

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Chapter 1 - Close the gate

"_Ada_?" Legolas, the crown Prince of Mirkwood, questioned his father, the King of the Woodland realm as he sat at his desk filling out forms and signing many piles of papers. "Are you busy?" He asked, watching as his father sighed and placed his quill down, as well as a report.

Thranduil sighed as he looked down at his Elfling who waited patiently for him to answer the question he had just been given. "I am sorry, Greenleaf, but I cannot play with you today." He watched as Legolas bowed his head, trying his best to cover his saddened expression. "Come here." Thranduil scooted his chair back and smiled as he patted his knee.

Legolas smiled back but it never reached his pointed ears as he nodded, slowly making his way over towards his father and then climbing up and into Thranduil's lap. He kept his head bowed, not wanting to look into his father's bright blue eyes.

"Now, tell me what's wrong?" Thranduil questioned, bringing his hand up to slowly run through the golden locks his son had inherited from him.

"I have no one to play with." Legolas pouted, crossing his arms as he begun to sulk "You all say that you are busy and that you do not have time for me."

"I am very sorry about that, _Tinith-las_." *Little leaf* Thranduil apologised, his smile turning sad as he looked down at Legolas. "We do try our hardest not to be but things just keep coming up." He explained, hoping that his child would understand.

Legolas nodded once more and then said quietly "Why are their no other young Elves like me, _Ada_?" He furrowed his tiny brow, turning his sea blue eyes onto his fathers bright blue ones.

"Because they have all grown up." Thranduil chuckled but he silenced himself when he saw Legolas' teary expression. He cleared his voice and then pinched the bridge of his nose "There are other Elfling's like you, dear leaf but they are within another realm far from that of ours. I have told you this many times."

"I know!" Legolas spoke up "But-It's just that...Why can't I go and see them?" Legolas asked as he fiddled with the fabric of his father's silver robe.

"The forest surrounding us is far to dangerous for Elfling's to be playing in, even in the safety of the palace." Thranduil said as he took hold of his son's tiny hands "I know what you are going to say, '_We will only go in the gardens.'..."_ The King saw the small blush come to Legolas' cheeks as he took the words right from his sons mind. "...And I just can't allow such young ones to be tainted by the darkness on their journey here. I am sorry, Greenleaf but until the forest is better again and when you are_ far_ older than you are now, then, only then, will you be able to take steps outside the palace to make new friends."

Legolas looked up into Thranduil's eyes and smiled sadly, his fingers now playing with his father's large ones "What realm are they from?"

"Imladris, dear leaf. The sons and daughter of the Lord and Lady." Thranduil raised a finger and tapped it on Legolas' nose causing the Elfling to giggle.

"What about the other one?"

"You mean Lothlórien?" Thranduil smiled when Legolas nodded frantically "All the Elfling's there have already grown to be big and strong. My, my, little one, I cannot wait till you have a child of your own and have to explain many things to them like I am now."

Legolas suddenly pulled away from his father in disgust "Ew!" He shouted, throwing his arms up into the air "I don't want to look after a baby!"

Thranduil pouted and folded his arms as his son got of his lap "But,_ Tinith-las_, you are a baby? There was no need to exaggerate."

"_Ada!_" Legolas cringed "Do not call me a baby. I am far more older than a baby!"

"And pray do tell me what age is a baby to you?" Thranduil then folded a leg over the other and leaned back in his chair raising an eyebrow.

"Twenty two." Legolas answered.

"My, now that is young isn't it?"

"See! That means I am no baby." Legolas folded his arms and smiled as he won, well, _thought_ he won.

"Would a baby scream if I did this...!" Thranduil then leapt out from his chair and with a squeal from his son, began chasing his boy around the study. Legolas was surprisingly fast for an Elfling his age but that never stopped Thranduil from catching him each time. The King did his best as well as Legolas to try and not knock over important reports that needed signing and some that needed Thranduil's full attention but as the Prince saw his father's hand come out, he made a sharp turn and bumped into the desk, causing the said reports to fall onto the floor. Both froze as they saw the paper's but quickly resumed the chase.

"_Ada _can't catch me!" Legolas sang as he ran and avoided his father once more, giggling as he went under his father's legs.

"Very smart you are _Tinith-las_ but..." Thranduil then swooped out his arm out and caught Legolas just as the Elfling was about to make another turn "...Not smart enough."

"You cannot tell _Naneth_ I squealed." Legolas placed a finger on his lips as he whispered "She would think I am a baby."

Thranduil snorted at his son and then placed Legolas onto the floor, beginning to tickle him. As Legolas screamed for his father to stop, a knock sounded at the door. Both the tickling and screaming stopped and the King couldn't help but sigh as he sat up and folded his legs, only then to run a hand through his hair as he called for whoever to enter. Legolas crawled over to him and placed himself in his lap.

Thranduil smiled as his head advisor, Haerion, walked in "Ah, _mellon_!" He exclaimed "What can I help you with?" Thranduil asked his advisor as Haerion bowed to him and then raised an eyebrow at the reports that laid on the floor by his desk. "Our little Prince here does not believe he is a baby and so I just wanted to make sure he wasn't but unfortunately he still is." He explained, laughing when Legolas muttered _"I am not a baby". _

_"What a stubborn son I have!" _He thought.

"My King surely you cannot say such a thing?" Haerion smiled as his King through him a glare, already knowing what he was about to say "Our Prince is nowhere near the stage of 'baby' any more."

"See _Ada!_" Legolas got up from his father's lap and ran over to where Haerion stood, slipping his hand into the advisor's. "I like Haerion better. He agrees with me all the time."

Haerion smirked as Thranduil through him a -we-will-speak-about-this-later- look. He watched as his King then stood, brushing of the back of his robe and then began to pick up the reports. Thranduil looked to his son and nodded, seeing Legolas' expression brighten as he ran and seated himself in his desk chair. "I assume you have the guard reports?" He said once Legolas found a spare parchment and began to draw apon it with ink and quill.

"Indeed I do _Aran-nin _although some, I must say, are very worrying and you may need to read them in private." Haerion said.

"And this shadow? What of it? Has anyone seen it yet? Heard anything?" The King asked, eyeing Haerion in approval as the Elf looked towards his son as the sound of the quill stopped behind him.

"The shadow, nay has not been seen by any but has been felt by some. A squad had felt the presence of something dark and followed it. It led them to a spiders nest which they dealt with but still they felt the shadow linger. But the longer they stayed, the more they felt the darkness creeping into them. They pulled back and Tauriel has gone to examine, to see whether the shadow stills lingers."

"When did she leave?"

"She left as soon as the sun rose, when the squadron came back minutes before."

"Very well. Thank you Haerion." Thranduil nodded and watched as his advisor left. He closed his eyes briefly and turned to his son, smiling ever so slightly as he saw Legolas now looking deeply into his eyes with obvious concern for matter he did not fully understand. He placed the fallen reports back onto his desk and held out his hand which Legolas took without a word being spoken. "Come Greenleaf, let us get some food yes?" A nod was all he got as a response and slowly father and son began to make their way to the dining room.

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"I do not feel anything out of the ordinary except for that of the smell of spider corpses." Tauriel muttered, kneeling down beside one of the dark creatures and poking it with one of her daggers, watching as the spider's shrivelled up corpse moved under the small force. "Lonwë, have you found anything? Fell anything?"

The said_ Ellon_ turned and shook his head "I feel nothing, _Hesto_. It must have moved further into the forest or retreated in that matter. I also found nothing up in the trees, just that of the webs and carcasses of the beasts' last meal." Lonwë's brow creased as he watched Tauriel shake her head "_Hesto_?" *Captain*

"From what the King has told us this shadow seems to be looking for something and that something happens to be in Greenwood. It would not surely retreat if it knew we were coming, it would be curious _mellon_." She then stood, looking up through the branches of the sick trees, hoping to find what was that of the sun "The shadow has moved but we know not where. Let us head back, we have done our work here. I will report to the King of our findings."

Tauriel whistled, calling back those Elves that searched further beyond that of the nest. As the Elves under her charge came back, the group began to make their way back to the palace through the trees. As they came back to the forest road and saw the bridge in view, the south gate being guarded by two of Tauriel's kin and the King's must loyal Elves, her company soon split once they were inside, hurrying off to other patrols ready to be on the move or back to see their families.

"Close the gate." She said to the two guards but froze mid-step just as they were about to. She quickly turned and looked down the forest road, the only sound catching her ears being that of a dark whisper that carried along the wind. Her brows furrowed as she continued to look down the road, there was something there but invisible to her eye. She could feel something cold creeping into her mind, it was foreign and evil. She began to make her way back to the road as the whisper grew louder with each step she took.

But as she stepped foot of the bridge, the whisper vanished and the sounds of the river flowing and trees swaying were all she now heard. Tauriel shook her head and made her way back, looking up at the guards and seeing each still and tense, their own eyes on that beyond the road obviously hearing what she had heard seconds before. "If you see anything, come find me or go straight to the King. Is that understood?" Both nodded and raised their weapons, closing the gates after Tauriel went through.

Never once did the cold leave her mind as she made her way to the King. The shadow was looking for something in the Greenwood. She could only wonder what or who it was searching for.

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It's a bit late for this now but MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! I got so caught up with parties and family that I couldn't post anything so here is the first chapter to another part of my series "The Stars of Arda" I hope you all had a fabulous time celebrating!

Apologies if their are mistakes. I'm too lazy to go over it a third time xD

**Namarië!**


	2. I am a star!

**Ikotane ta supel.**

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Chapter 2 - I am a star!

Legolas skipped happily through his father's palace in look for one person in particular.

His _Naneth_.

He hadn't seen his mother since afternoon lunch where she had finished her meal quickly and left, leaving him and his father to throw confusing looks at each other as well as everyone else around the table. So, Legolas had made it his mission to find his _Nana_ before the sun fell behind the tree's. He had roughly four hours and didn't think he was going to make it for his mother was a master at hiding for hours on end.

Legolas' small feet patted along the wooden paths and down the stairs to new parts of the palace that he couldn't believe he had never thought of going before. He had discovered a cellar with hundreds of barrels full of...water? He also found his father's dungeons which were, almost, directly under his father's throne. He also discovered many spare rooms, a room with lot's of sharp pointy objects that the guards were carrying around and got kicked out of the kitchens when he discovered a secret stash of tarts.

Yet still, no matter how many more rooms he found, he could still not find his _Naneth_. He sighed but grinned as he thought of the gardens in which he then rushed too, avoided the guards and causing Tauriel to furrow her brow as she watched the Elfling go. Legolas saw the guards turn their eyes apon him and opened the doors for him, the summer air hitting him full on his face.

"And just why that type of smile, _Laegolas?_" *Greenleaf*

Legolas jumped at the sound of Tauriel's voice. "I did not see you there!" He exclaimed with a giggle.

"Aye, of course you did not. Your father would not have me as the Captain of the guard for nothing, my Prince." The She-Elf smiled back and raise her brow when she saw Legolas' eyes turn playful and mischievous. "And, by the look of your eyes, I wonder what you are thinking, young one."

"I cannot find _Nana_ but I think I know where she is hiding, Tauriel!" He laughed and then took off down the path, Tauriel close behind. He came before a young tree, smaller then the Captain herself but taller then Legolas and placed his hands onto the small trunk.

Tauriel watched as her Prince communicated with the sapling. She was quite surprised that the tree could even speak at such a young age as this one was. It was only seven in it's long years to come. As Legolas' hands fell to his sides and head then hung, she crouched once more and took her Prince's hand into her own "My Prince?" She questioned, waiting patiently for the child to face her. Legolas did yet his eyes were full of sadness, surprised once more. "Aye, what is wrong, _tinith-pen_?" *young one*

"The tree said that _Nana_ is busy and does not wish to be disturbed." Legolas kept his head low "Tauriel, _Nana_ is always busy and_ Ada_ is always busy too. They don't have time for me any more."

"Nay, do not think in such a way, my Prince." Tauriel replied, placing a finger under Legolas' chin and gently lifted his head. "The King and Queen have such busy jobs and need to look after that of our people. You have heard of the darkness and sickness that surrounds this forest. They are both doing everything they can to stop this from reaching the palace."

"Are they protecting us from this shadow Haerion speaks to _Ada_ about?"

Tauriel raised her brows. Now, she wasn't expecting her Prince to know about this shadow but the child was awfully curios. She just hoped he doesn't get too curios and do something that will threaten his life. "Aye, they are protecting you most,_ tinith-las_ for are their special star and always will be."

Legolas' eyes brightened as her words filled him "I am a star!" He exclaimed, pushing up the sleeve on his tunic and revealing a small star shaped birthmark on his wrist. "See, I am a star! _Ada_ told me so."

Tauriel laughed "I see, _Aran-nin_, tells you a lot of things, _Cunn-nin_" *my King, my Prince* She stood, keeping her hand in Legolas' small one.

"_Ada_ told me not to tell _Naneth_ about the things I get to hear, so you must promise me Tauriel that you will not tell _Naneth_ about this." Legolas looked up at his father's captain and smiled when she promised. "Will you help me find _Nana, _Tauriel?" He asked, turning his eyes back to the path they were now walking on.

"I think I have already found her." She smiled as she saw the Queen in the far distance picking a few daisy's from the ground. "_Naneth_!" She heard Legolas shout before feeling the small hand rip out of hers. She shook her head with a laugh before turning and leaving.

"_Nana_, where have you been?" Legolas through himself into his mother's arms giggling as she laughed and hugged his small frame.

"You know the answer to your own question,_ Tinith-las_ and I apologise that I haven't been able to see you most of the day." The Queen answered, kissing her child on the lips. "What have you been up to today then?"

"_Ada_ chased me around his study!"

"Oh, your _Ada_ told me about that little story." Estelwen chuckled.

"I just met with Tauriel and we talked." Legolas now began to fiddle with the embellishment on his mother's green dress.

"And what did you speak about?" Estelwen raised an eyebrow at her son but received no answer. "Well, if you do not tell me then I will not need your help for what I am busy with next."

Legolas froze and slowly looked at his mother. He stuttered, embarrassment taking over his form, a slight blush on his cheeks. "Me and Tauriel talked about you and _Ada_. Thatyouneverspendtimewithmeanymore." He said impossibly fast which made Estelwen furrow her brow.

"Slowly, _Tinith-las_. Even with my hearing I couldn't catch that all at once"

"That you never spend time with me any more." His hand went back to playing with his mother's dress.

"Aye, I must agree we don't but please, you must understand how important our jobs are, young one."

"Tauriel told me why you were busy so there is no need to worry any more, _Nana_!" Legolas smiled and then squirmed to get let down. As his feet touched the floor, he put his hand into his mother's "What do you need help with_ Naneth_?"

"Well, I need help with tending to a very special garden." Estelwen began to leading her son back into the palace. Legolas could only widen his eyes at where his mother was taking him.

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Short chapter, I know! But I hope you have all enjoyed it :)

_Ea na qwiil, Mellon-nin:_ This will be updated Thursday! Sorry it has taken me sooooo long to update this

**Reviews;**

**Frodo's sister; **Thank you!

**Jasperslittlesister; **Yeah, Legolas is pretty stubborn so... ;) Here is your update! Not to late I hope :D

**Nardhwentheelf; **YAY! Glad you did ;D Okay, that is good then, didn't really want to correct any cause I'm Lazy like that ;) ENJOY!

**Kitwarrior24; **I did have a good Holiday, and yourself? :) Oh my, thank you! :D

**Nightrunner144; **AWWW I MISSED YOU TOO! :'D I did have a fab Christmas and new years, hope you did too! Oh yus! I will be (hopefully) celebrating that as well :D Here's ya' update!

**Namarië!**


	3. We are best friends Nana!

**Ikotane ta supel.**

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Chapter 3 - We are best friends _Nana_!

Legolas giggled as his mother placed a circlet made from daisies upon his head. He thanked her, his musical laughter making the Queen smile with much love for her child. They both resumed their making of daisy chains, speaking to one another and also laughing as the hours went on.

They both had already done what was needed to be done: watering the flowers using two wooden buckets near a spring at the other end of the garden, tending to the trees and whistling to the birds that made those trees their home. Estelwen had told her son many stories of Thranduil and her sneaking down here and staying up, talking for hours on end about Valar knows what nowadays. She had laughed when Legolas asked what his father looked like when he was younger and she told him...

"_He looks as he does now." _

The sun had slowly begun to set below the mountains, creating a soft orange glow in the garden. The birds were returning home from their flights and the evening breeze blew gently throughout the grass and leaves.

Legolas yawned silently, turning away from his mother in hoping she didn't see. But by the look that she gave him as he turned back around made him smile innocently and say "I'm not tired _Nana_. I was just stretching my mouth."

Estelwen shook her head with a sigh and motioned Legolas to sit in her lap. "I know when a young one such as yourself is tired, _Laegolas_." *Greenleaf*

"How?" He questioned as he looked up at his mother, now playing with the sleeve of her dress as she placed her hands in his.

"You know that you are not the only young one to ever grace your father's halls. I do also remember when I was but a child and my dear _mellyn_ were." *friends*

"You have friends?"

Estelwen snorted "Of course I have friends,_ Tinith-las_. You and Tauriel are friends are you not?"

Legolas smiled as he nodded "We are best friends _Nana_!"

"That you are and that is why we trust you with her more than anyone in the Kingdom. She used to nurse you when you were just a tiny baby, when me and your father were incredibly busy."

"Tauriel is the best _Nana_ and the best fighter! I want to be a fighter like her and come home to tell you tales of my adventures with Tauriel." Legolas swung his hands as if a small sword was within them.

Estelwen laughed as she dodged Legolas' fist as it came to close to her face "Aye, I do wish to hear those tales but when you are much older then may you do so." She tapped Legolas' nose gently making the Princeling giggle. "Never would I allow such a small Elfling to go out into the sick part of our forest to destroy creatures of the dark."

"But I am not small _Nana_, I am big." Legolas exclaimed, waving his arms still and now pretending to release an arrow with his bow "Like _Ada_!"

Estelwen shook her head _"Las_, you are too small. That is final, okay love?" Legolas nodded, his hands ceasing their swings as he mumbled something under his breath that made his mother's brow furrow. "_Las?"_ She asked but received now answer. *Leaf*

After a short silence, the Prince looked up at his Queen and asked "_Naneth_, can you tell me about the other Elves?"

"Of course I can, dear one. What would you like to know?"

Legolas relaxed deeper into his mother lap, another small yawn escaping him "Everything."

And so the Queen did. She told her son about the hidden valley and about Lothlórien, explaining the beauty of each land with a hint of jealousy in her voice. Yes, she knew the trees around the palace were healthy along with that of the other plant life and animals but the rest of Mirkwood was sick and dead. Any other Elf would explain the other two realms with jealousy in their voices too. She was not the only one who did.

Estelwen began to tell her child about the Lord's and Lady's. Legolas seemed mostly interested when she began to talk about Lord Elrond's and Lady Celebrian's children, Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen. She told Legolas that Elladan and Elrohir were twins and were but a few hundred years older than him. He asked many questions about the twins, interested in whether he would become friends with them quickly or whether they would reject his friendship.

"They would not reject such a sweet, young Elfling like yourself, _Tinith-las_." Estelwen brushed her hand through her child's golden hair. "There is nothing to dislike about you." Legolas just shrugged his shoulder's as his reply so the Queen continued on telling her child about the realms. It was until her small Prince asked one question that made her freeze.

"Are their other races other then ours _Nana_?"

What was she to say? Thranduil and herself hadn't discussed this before. Was she to tell him that there were more than just that of Elves living on this earth besides from the dark creatures that he already knew about? Was she to tell him about the men in the south and north, east and west, in the plains and on the lake? Was she to tell him about the Dwarves of the great mountains, one's that held such hatred for their race? To tell him of their greed for all things great, money, gold, mithril, silver, iron? Was she to tell him about the five Wizards? Was she to tell him about the other dark creatures that were more terrifying than that of spiders and Orcs?

_"Nana?"_

_"Nana?"_

_"Naneth!"_

The Queen snapped out of her thoughts and looked down at her child. "Aye, forgive me _Las_." She said as she looked into his troubled, saddened eyes. "It appears I am very tired from all this talking. Come, I know you are tired too so let us go and rest underneath that big tree other there." She picked herself of the ground, Legolas already skipping over towards the tree with a smile on his face.

As they both settled beneath the tree, something caught Legolas' eyes. "_Naneth_, what's that?" He asked as he pointed towards a stone sticking out of the ground a few yards away from him. The top was covered in a thin sheet of moss while snow bells grew around the base.

The Queen mentally sighed in relieved, glad that her son was not to ask about the other races. "That is a stone for a very special person." She said. Legolas turned back to her with a furrowed brow and Estelwen giggled. "Have you ever wondered why your _Ada_ never speaks of his _Ada_?" The Queen asked her son. When Legolas nodded, she pulled him into her lap and kissed the top of his head. "Well that is because he took a journey to Mando's halls..." A gasp from her little one's mouth "...and decided to stay there."

"But _Nana_!" Legolas exclaimed "He left _Ada_ all alone. It's not very nice for him to just go without _Ada_."

"Nay, _Las._ He left because he had too. If he had an option, I would very much believe he would of stayed here by your father's side and still ruled over these woods of ours." She smiled sadly at her child and almost immediately, when Legolas saw the sadness within her eyes, he understood.

"I'm sorry." He said, lowering his head and leaning further into his mother as she wrapped her arms gently around his waist.

"Do not be sorry, little one. You still do not fully understand this world and that world above." Estelwen then inhaled deeply, breathing in the evening air and watching as the shadows of the orange glow of the sun soon turned red as it dimmed ever more. "If your _Ada's_ father still ruled this realm, I am not sure he would have never laid eyes on me, meaning that you would never be in this world, _Tinith-las _and we wouldn't of wanted that. Now, sweet one, go to sleep. You have done so much today and it has made me very happy for you to have joined me."

"Yes _Nana_." Legolas turned around one last time before planting a soft kiss on her lips. "Goodnight." He said until he drifted off peacefully to the last songs of the birds and a gentle hum of his mother's voice.

Estelwen stayed awake, watching as the orange glow fading completely and only the full moons light entered the garden. She waited and waited until she felt it. The cool night air turned colder and began to pick up speed. The trees began to sing a sweet melody that they only sung once every two weeks when there was a full moon. She looked down at her sleeping child and smiled softly as all movement and sound stopped.

"So, is this the little Greenleaf you were telling me about?"

Estelwen turned her gaze onto that of an _Elllon_ clad in pure white armour, his hair golden and swaying with the slight wind. Bright ice blue eyes landed on her sea blue one's and a gentle smile was on his face.

The Queen of Mirkwood nodded "Aye, this is Legolas."

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I feel pretty mean for leaving it there but all I can say is... HAHAHAHAAAA! ;) Hope you all have enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next! Been too long since I last updated this and this has been sitting, waiting, to be updated for ages! ;O My apologies!

**Reviews:**

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**Nardhwentheelf; You know me very well then ;) I've gotten lazier as you have probably noticed ;) Ahaha, so do I! :D Thank you!**

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**missteigne; Ah, my French is very bad! But, Legolas will meet Sauron soon ;) Just give me another 4-6 chapters and he may appear then ;) **

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**Namárië**


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